With a strong track record in delivering impactful innovation-led growth and providing the skills that businesses need, the University of Sheffield can play a critical role in helping the UK government deliver its Industrial Strategy.
The report, published today (23 June 2025), outlines the government’s plans to put the UK on a high-growth trajectory, reinforcing the country’s reputation as the most open, stable and globally-connected economy in the world.
The University of Sheffield’s translational research facilities and expertise across the critical sectors highlighted in the strategy, from advanced manufacturing and clean energy to life sciences, defence and digital and technologies, are already driving growth, creating highly-skilled jobs and attracting inward investment across the South Yorkshire region and the UK.
Professor Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: “Research-intensive universities like Sheffield have a critical role to play in helping the government deliver its Industrial Strategy and drive growth across the UK.
“In Sheffield, we have seen the transformative impact of innovation-led growth on people and communities in our region and beyond, and how our work with industry can support the strategy's key sectors with the research and skills they need to overcome challenges and catalyse growth opportunities.
“We are committed to working with the government to build on this work and ensure we play our part in the Industrial Strategy’s success.”
The University of Sheffield leads work in key growth sectors outlined in the Industrial Strategy:
Advanced manufacturing
Our Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, is a magnet for capital investment, acts as a lever for improved social mobility through its training centre, and supports a 600-strong highly-skilled workforce that contributes in excess of £55m to the economy.
The AMRC’s engineers turn the latest world-leading research into vital practical improvements for industry – they can reduce the time taken to make a component from 40 hours to just three, and can take an assembly process down from 60 minutes to 60 seconds, demonstrating the value to businesses and how the AMRC will play a significant role in delivering the government’s industrial strategy.
For example, its largest-ever research project – COMPASS (Composites at Speed and Scale) – an £80 million boost to composites R&D for aerospace manufacturing in the UK, will help the aviation industry meet future demand for lighter commercial aircraft and reach net zero through demonstrating new geometrically complex light weight composite structure production methodologies which will bear down on production times.
Ben Morgan, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the University of Sheffield AMRC said: “The Industrial Strategy is a welcome and important step forward by this government and the advanced manufacturing sector is rightly centre stage for driving growth across the UK.
“The University of Sheffield AMRC is proud of our story of impact on the core themes of the Industrial Strategy - growth, productivity and workforce development as the lifeblood of a vibrant sector. We have a lot more to offer for the future and this Industrial Strategy is an important contribution to a better tomorrow.
“The focus on innovation and the importance of R&D are welcome messages from the government. Whether for defence, clean energy, aerospace, automotive or food and drink, innovation sits at the heart of competitive firms building brilliant products with agile, high quality processes across the UK. We look forward to working with our High Value Manufacturing Catapult colleagues and leaning into this future with pride and confidence.”
Clean energy
The University’s clean energy innovation and research expertise is making a significant contribution to addressing the global climate crisis and supporting the transition to low-carbon energy.
Through opportunities in nuclear, hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuels and carbon capture and storage, we can help deliver the UK’s ambitions for a greener, more sustainable future, with increased wealth creation and economic growth.
The South Yorkshire region has a growing reputation as the best place for the development and delivery of clean energy technology in the UK.
The University’s Energy Innovation Centre was part of the consortium that contributed to the world’s first transatlantic flight using 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuels.
The AMRC is working with Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) – the company chosen as the preferred bidder to partner with Great British Energy - Nuclear to develop small modular reactors for the UK – to produce working prototypes of the individual modules that will be assembled into power plants.
Defence
The University partners with organisations that work in the defence sector, helping them overcome productivity and sustainability challenges and supporting UK security and sovereign capabilities. This is aligned with our strategic partnerships with government and companies working in the areas of aerospace, manufacturing, engineering and energy.
Our research capabilities align to the government’s Defence Science and Technology portfolio, to help ensure the UK and its allies remain at the forefront of technological advancements and insights. We have world-class strengths in Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, Air Systems, Artificial Intelligence, and Security Systems, along with significant expertise in Autonomy, Communications and Networks, Future Sensing, and Maritime.
Digital and technologies
The University of Sheffield is one of the UK's leading universities for semiconductor research.
The National Epitaxy Facility – an EPSRC-funded centre of excellence hosted by Sheffield in collaboration with the universities of Cambridge and UCL – was recognised in the UK government’s Semiconductor Strategy for playing a critical role in supporting semiconductor research in over 30 research-intensive UK universities and UK industry. In April 2025, the University won a £7 million investment to fund new equipment that will revolutionise the discovery and development of new semiconductor materials.
Semiconductors are critical to advanced technologies such as AI, 5G networks, renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. Without semiconductors, much of the modern infrastructure that supports healthcare, transportation, communication and industry would not function.
Sheffield will partner with the UK Electronic Skills Foundation on a new semiconductor skills development course that will supply a pipeline of talent to the UK’s semiconductor sector – key to its long-term success.
The University of Sheffield is also home to the Centre for Machine Intelligence, which supports world-class AI research, trains the next generation of researchers, and fosters partnerships to translate research into real-world outcomes. Its research themes focus on Human-Centric AI, AI-Enabled Research, AI for Engineering and Manufacturing and Autonomous Systems and Robotics.
We’re incubating semiconductor companies on and off campus, such as:
Phlux – a Sheffield spinout that has developed high-performance infrared sensors that are set to drive advancements in industries worldwide.
Aegiq – a spinout company enabling the move towards the second quantum revolution.
Life sciences
The University of Sheffield is home to the Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC), aiming to accelerate the development of gene therapies into life-changing treatments for patients. It brings together academic institutions, NHS trusts, non-profit and industry partners to translate scientific discoveries into new and exciting treatments for patients, faster.
The GTIMC is one of three national Innovation Hubs for Gene Therapies funded by the Medical Research Council and LifeArc, with support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
The GTIMC will support gene therapy projects emerging from UK universities, as well as provide material for clinical trials at NHS sites. It will provide all the necessary quality assurance, regulatory certification and governance for human trials at Advanced Therapies Treatment Centres (ATTC) and NHS trusts.
It has already led to spinout companies, such as Crucible Therapeutics.
